Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop
by Devon Marie Darling
Summary: AU-ish. Minako Arisato hates city life but for her brother, she came to the always cold city of Iwatodai. Her she lives with an old flame and has to chase away creep after creep at her work. Her savior however is right around the corner. The gruff barista and pastry chef at the coffee shop SEES. Fem.Pro x Shinji. Aki x Mitsuru. And more. Previously titled "The Weary Traveler's Inn"
1. Chapter 1

Devon: Hey guys. Its my first Persona 3 fanfic! Lets see how this turns out!

Warning: There is swearing. This is AU-ish. There are still some "fantastical" (?) aspects to the story but the dark hour doesn't really exist. Minato (male protagonist) and Minako (female protagonist) both exist in this world as twins. Neither of them die...Maybe. Lastly, this takes place in the "future" per say so...they're all older. Its like 12-ish years in the future. So yeah.

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3 or the characters or a playstation2/3/portable or any Persona 3 game. Just the idea for this story. :)

Rating: T. Hopefully it won't need a higher one but if it does, I'll change it. Promise.

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter One

Minako Arisato cupped her bare hands around her mouth and blew hot air onto the pink, chapped skin. Her teeth were chattering and she shivered as she trudged forward in the harsh wind.

This was all Minato's fault. That dumb brother of her's had to go and get a job in the stupid city where it was almost always cold, windy, rainy, or snowing. And his damn puppy dog eyes get her every time. So now she's stuck here, working a part-time job she hates and living in a two-bedroom apartment with three other people. Stupid Minato.

A loud crash distracted the shivering brunette as someone threw trash into an overflowing dumpster and the sound of glass breaking could be heard. She had stayed in one place for too long as a large truck came barreling down the slick road and rounded the bend with a large spray of dirty, melted snow. Minako was soaked to the bone in seconds.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." Minako chanted her mantra, hoping through twin-telepathy, Minato would feel her hostility over in his warm, dry, cozy office. A door opened in front of her and the smell of coffee and warm air taunted her too much to continue on and she slipped inside, a small tinkling bell echoing behind her.

The warm air of the small coffee house swirled around the dirty, wet, freezing woman as she dripped muddy water onto the welcome mat. The shop was dimly lit with interesting pictures and newspaper cutouts spread across the walls. Only three customers were seated, one on a overly-plush couch, reading a worn paper back novel, and two at a high-seated table, gossiping about who-knows-what over coffee and some type of muffin. Minako thought she might cry. This was just what she needed. How did she not find this place earlier? The past six months wouldn't have been so miserable if she had discovered this before.

* * *

Shinjiro Aragaki swore to himself as he looked around the messy kitchen. Where the hell had the vanilla gone? This was all Aki's fault. If that stupid boxer hadn't come in to pester him about who-knows-what all the time, these stupid cookies would be done already.

"Damn you Akihiko. Can't you just call me when I'm done with work or wait until later like a normal person?" Shinjiro tugged off his dark beanie and ran a calloused hand through his messy hair. He should really cut it but he liked wearing it long. It was such a pain to deal with though. And his boss certainly didn't like it as Shinji was the only one to ever deal with the food in the small shop.

Sweet Escapes in an Earthy, commonly known as SEES because only the owner thought such a long name was a good idea, was a small coffee shop depressing poets and wanna-be writers usually came to moan and complain and drink coffee. It wasn't the most popular place but there _was _a good number of regulars who the owner, and unfortunately Shinji, knew by name. There weren't many employees but as the owner of the shop had helped Shinjiro when he was younger, he worked there whenever they needed help. And he was responsible for all the foods they served there.

The familiar tinkling of a bell warned Shinjiro that a customer, most likely Hidetoshi Odagiri who came in everyday at exactly five-thirty for coffee and a raisin scone, had come in. Holding his head in hopes of removing his forming headache, Shinjiro left the kitchen to greet the regular.

Shinji froze when his brown eyes clashed with auburn-red eyes staring up at him. That definitely wasn't Odagiri. He cleared his throat and looked away. To his dismay, he felt heat bloom across his cheeks. A young woman near his age stood at the counter, soaking wet. Her brown hair was plastered to her pale, thin face and she looked much like a kicked puppy just brought in from the rain.

"Can I help you?" He asked, looking at the old, worn cash register on the counter. The woman sighed dreamily and a faraway look came over her as she smiled.

"I'll take a large coffee and the biggest, most chocolately-est thing you have." The woman replied and Shinji almost wanted to smile at the childish way she ordered. Instead he just scowled and punch in her order.

"Anything in your coffee?" The woman shook her head quickly and cold droplets of water sprayed around her head, leaving her shrouded in a fantasy-like mist for a few fleeting seconds.

"Black." Shinjiro hid his grimace and went to get her order. He grabbed her baked good first, his own creation that was much like a less messy version of a chocolate lava cake and then poured her coffee. The strong aroma rose from the cup with steam and seemed to settle on him, leaving him smelling like the bitter drink.

"Here you go." He muttered curtly, pushing the goods towards the woman. "720 yen."

An almost depressed sigh escaped the woman now but after a few minutes of searching she handed over the money and took her things.

The strange woman sat in the darkest corner of the shop in a position that shielded her entirely from the two large windows in the front of the shop. She sipped her coffee gingerly and looked around the shop as if she couldn't believe she was really sitting there, in the coffee shop. Though only two other customers came in, one being Hidetoshi Odagiri, Shinjiro stayed in the front of the shop, behind the counter and watched the strange woman. After an hour and a half, she still hadn't left and he decided the cookies could wait until tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Devon: La-De-Da here's the second chapter. I've been finishing my homework rather early so I decided to write more. Aren't you all proud of me? :)

Warning: Aigis is H-U-M-A-N HUMAN in this story. Meaning she is not an android. This is important and done on purpose. If you don't like it, bite me.

Dislcaimer: I don't own Persona 3, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 3 FEES or anything else related to the series. I only own the plot and I might throw an OC or two in there but for the moment they don't exist so...yeah.

Rating: T

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Two

Shinjiro grabbed the coffee pot behind him and made his way to the strange woman in the corner, the last customer still in the shop.

"More coffee?" He asked and for a few minutes, her dazed expression made him think his voice hadn't worked. Finally she looked down at her recently empty cup and back up at him. A slow smile warmed her features.

"Yes, please." Shinjiro gave her a curt nod in reply and filled the cup, the two of them watched the steam dance through the air slowly before disappearing. The woman grasped the cup with both hands and held it close to her face, closing her eyes to savor the warmth and strong scent of the coffee before she took a long, deep drink.

Her hair had finally dried and curled in uncontrolled ways around her face and most of the unruly locks had fallen out of her make shift pony tail-bun. Her cheeks were still a rosy pink as if she had just come in from the cold outside. The woman's coat and scarf were draped over the arm of the couch she sat on, drying as well. Shinjiro couldn't help but notice the orange, red, yellow, white and pink striped sweater fit the woman rather loosely and was obviously old. Her short tan skirt wrinkled around her thighs, over her red-orange tights.

He should have left. Walked away from the strange woman, put the coffee pot back at least. But Shinjiro couldn't pull away from the woman. She was so interesting for reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom. Shinjiro sat on one of the small, wicker chairs across from the woman and tilted his head to the side to watch her. Though she noticed his staring, she stared right back at him with equally as curious eyes, she didn't seem bothered by his unwavering gaze like most. She was content simply drinking her coffee while it was still hot.

"Pretty cold out there, huh?" Shinjiro heard himself ask and couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. He rarely ever started a conversation, even with his best friend, so why did this stranger evoke the want-the need-to speak from him? The woman shivered as if she was still out in the cold.

"It's terrible. I'm not use to this constant cold. It's _hell_." She replied, pulling the mug away from her face. Almost half of the dark drink was gone. Shinjiro snorted.

"Wait until it really snows." He warned her and the woman groaned, tossing her head back against the back of the couch. A lump grew in Shinjiro's throat.

"I don't want to think about that." She replied, her voice projected to the ceiling. Shinjiro didn't know what to say in response and the woman didn't seem to mind. A comfortable silence fell over the two. Somewhere in the back of the store, faint music floated through the air, too quiet for any words to be understood. The two stayed like that, Shinjiro trying to look anywhere but at the curious woman and failing, and the woman staring up at the ceiling as if trying to break some mysterious code scrawled across the wood that only she could see. Finally, after twenty minutes or so when the woman's coffee had grown cool and the coffee pot was an irritating weight in his hand, Shinjiro stood to leave.

A faint ruffling of clothes alerted the woman to his movements and she looked back at him. Her strangely colored eyes were wide and emphasized by long, dark eye lashes. Shinjiro cleared his throat nervously and shifted his weight.

"My shift is ending in a few minutes. I've got another job to go to so…" The woman blinked a few times and scrambled to her feet.

"Right. So you're um…closing? I should be heading out anyways. I was only stopping for a few minutes." The woman babbled, grabbing her coat and scarf, looking around as if she was forgetting something. Shinjiro gave her a curious look.

"A few minutes?" The woman froze with one arm in the sleeve of her coat and a horrified expression took place of her earlier, serene one.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" She asked, pushing her arm through the sleeve. She shoved a hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a small, pink cell phone that went off as if her touch had awakened it from a long sleep. The woman groaned and placed the device against her ear.

"Hello?"

Shinjiro heard a muffled, electronic voice through the other end and watched the woman's expression grow even more horrified.

"Six thirty?" She gulped. "No, I um…didn't realize the time."

The muffled voice was heard again and Shinjiro thought he saw anger light up the woman's russet eyes but her expression didn't change otherwise.

"Yes. Of course. We'll see you later…_Aigis_." The woman had trouble speaking the name of the caller. Before the other person could respond, the woman ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"Thank you, for the coffee. And the company. Hopefully I'll see you around." The woman smiled brightly at the man but this smile didn't reach her eyes.

Shinjiro watched the brown haired woman leave the shop. The half empty coffee cup and the tinkling of a bell were the only signs that someone else had been in the shop with him. Shinjiro took the coffee cup to the kitchen to pour it out and wondered why he was sad to see the woman go. And why her unhappiness bothered him so much.

* * *

Minako reached the elementary school ten minutes later. A small, pale boy with dark blue hair sat on the front steps, the heavy metal doors of the school closed tightly and locked behind him. He was gently pushing small stones around with his sneaker clad feet as he waited alone. Minako bit her lip and tried not to frown as she came closer.

"Hey buddy." The little boy looked up from the stones and a large smile broke across his red cheeks.

"Mommy!" The boy flew down the steps and threw his arms around Minako in a tight hug. As Minako hugged her dark haired son she hated herself for how cold he was. How could she lose track of the time like that and forget her son? The poor boy had probably been out in the cold for an hour or more with no clue how to get home in the large, unfamiliar city.

"I'm sorry I'm so late." Minako muttered into the dark curls on the boy's head. Pharos pulled away from his mother to hold her hand and give her a toothy smile.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I had friends to keep me company." The boy swore to his mother. Minako furrowed her eye brows and looked back at the school. For a split second, splotches of red and black seemed to coat the suddenly deformed walls of the school before the image in front of her converted back to normal. Minako shook her head to erase the strange image and smiled down at her son.

"Ready to go home?" Pharos nodded, his bright blue eyes lighting up happily.

The two headed towards home, swinging their arms together, Pharos relaying his whole school day to his mother.

Minako and Pharos were greeted by Aigis when they got home. The taller woman had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, the same shade as Pharos's. Pharos avoided her eyes but waved hello before running to hide in his room. Minako and Aigis looked each other in the eye, neither willing to back down.

"Why did you forget Pharos?" Aigis finally questioned Minako, her question coming out monotonous. Minako ground her teeth together and glared at the blonde.

"I had something on my mind, alright? You weren't doing anything. You could have gotten him." Minako reminded her, marching past Aigis to reach the kitchen. She hated her brother sometimes. For his too big heart and overly sympathetic ways. Of all people, why did he have to take Aigis in?

"I was studying today." Aigis reminded Minako, following after the brunette. "And if I do recall, you didn't want me to be near him."

"Yeah well since neither you or my brother pay attention to _my_ wishes and the two of you have made that completely impossible…" Minako tossed her coat and scarf over a chair and turned away from the blonde. "Why do I bother? It's not like you're paying attention."

"Though I don't understand why you are mad-"

"Of course you don't! When do you ever?"

"I would like you to know that Minato and I do not try and hurt or anger you on purpose." Minako turned and glared at the clueless blonde.

"Get out of my kitchen. Go study. Something, just get out. I'm making dinner." Minako demanded, pointing towards the living room. "Just get away from me."

Just as Minako finished banishing Aigis from the apartment kitchen, the door opened to reveal a tired Minato.

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Twin Judge of Gemini**: Yeah, I hear my chapters are always too short. I tried to make this one longer but I'm not really sure if I acomplished it. However, I didn't want the other characters to show up in the first one. I want to slowly introduce them and the relationships they may or may not have with the others. Well thank you but I'm afraid I don't know the reference. Hm...a vote on Minato's pairing. That might be a good idea as I haven't decided who I want him to be paired up with yet. I'll think about it.

**kingtransformo**: Haha well thank you. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Devon: Mm, it's been a while I guess. Sorry about that. School's such a pain...Anyways, I had this total eureka (ooh that doesn't look like the right spelling. Oh well.) moment and decided that I would throw, at least a little bit, of the Dark Hour into the piece. So you'll finally meet more of the characters (not all of the ones who will be involved but more) and we dug a little deeper into the life of the twins, Aigis, and Pharos. Also, and I'm blaming this on the fact that I just saw Pitch Perfect like an hour ago which was really good by the way and you should go see it if you haven't, but I randomly want to put all of them in a ridiculous singing group. Maybe as a bonus/parody chapter. Hm...either way: Enjoy.

Warning: Swearing. Dark-ish themes in the story I didn't really think about earlier (xD). And now the Dark Hour does exist. Sort of. Thanks to my eureka moment. Still AU-ish though. And just incase you hadn't gathered this up until now, the characters are older than they are in the game. (i.e. Not in high school. *winks obviously*) Okay, now then.

Disclaimer: There would be a whole lot more of Shinjiro time if I owned Persona 3 if you know what I mean. (*another obnoxious wink*)

Rating: T. And it shouldn't get any higher...

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Three

Minato Arisato sighed when he saw his sister and roommate in the kitchen. He could tell by their expressions that they had been arguing. Well as much as the two could argue as Aigis still didn't totally grasp the concept of emotions. But he figured being deprived almost entirely of human contact until you were seventeen could do that to a person. Minako had an expression of barely controlled anger contorting her pale face.

"Aigis, will you do me a favor?" Minato asked, throwing his coat over the arm of the couch and bending over to take his shoes off. Aigis tilted her head to the side, confused by his sudden request and lack of greeting to either of the girls.

"What do you need me to do?" Minato opened his mouth to respond and then paused. He wanted to get her out of the kitchen so that he could speak with Minako and hopefully calm his twin's anger. Or at least bring it to a dull simmer before she broke something else in the small apartment. Asking Aigis to do the dishes for him wouldn't really accomplish that.

"Go buy groceries." Minako told Aigis, reaching behind her to grab the shopping list off the fridge and shoving it into the blonde's hands. "Its Minato's week to do it but I'm sure he's very tired from work and would appreciate it." Aigis looked between the two and Minato nodded in agreement.

"Very well. I will be back shortly." Aigis told them in response. She grabbed her coat and scarf from the closet and placed a strange, stiff kiss on Minato's cheek before she left. Not a minute after the door shut, Minako gave her brother the dirtiest look she could manage and threw open the door of the fridge. Minato winced when the handle cracked against the plaster wall.

"How was work, brother?" Minako questioned sarcastically. She pulled two chicken breasts from the fridge with an assortment of other things and set to making dinner.

"What happened this time, Mina?" Minato asked his sister, coming into the kitchen and leaning against the counter as she fussed around at the stove.

"I forgot Pharos." The brunette finally whispered ten minutes after the question had left her brother's lips. "At school. I didn't pick him up until almost seven o'clock." The young woman at the stove hiccupped between her last two words.

"I'm sure you just had a lot on your mind. It's not like Pharos minded. He has too big of a heart to mind." Minato replied once he finally recovered from the slight shock he experienced from hearing his sister's words.

"He was all alone out in the cold for almost three and a half hours, Minato." Minako finally turned to face her brother and her eyes hardened with a glare. "And your _girl_friend had the nerve to demand why from me. She wasn't doing anything, all day, but it never occurred to her to I don't know; pick him up herself when the two of us didn't show up. Or call the school or me or even you to ask if anyone had picked him up. And then she demands something from me."

"Minako, you did say over and over that you didn't want Aigis to have anything to do with Pharos." Minato reminded his fuming twin. Minako slammed the lid onto the frying pan and stormed out of the room.

"Fancy that, the one time anyone listens to my wishes, it leaves my son out in the cold for two plus hours." Minato heard a door slam before Minako called back "The food will be ready in ten minutes; I'm getting ready for work. Don't burn it again."

A few minutes later, as Minato was setting the table for himself and Pharos, the said eight year old boy shuffled out of his room.

"Mom has to work tonight again, doesn't she?" Minato looked down at his nephew and ruffled his curly hair.

"Yeah she does."

"I don't like where she works."

"I don't either." Minato replied honestly. Pharos sat himself at the table and fiddled with his fork.

"Mom doesn't like Aigis, does she?"

"No she…she really does." Minato paused, searching for a way to explain the complicated relationship between the three adults Pharos was living with. "Okay not right now, she doesn't. She used to. But something happened a while ago and your mother is just trying to find a good way to get past it." Minato decided taking the food off the stove two minutes early wouldn't kill anyone and began to scoop the stir-fry onto his nephew's plate.

"When I say ten minutes, I mean ten minutes Minato. Not eight. And for God's sake turn the burner off before you burn the house down." Minako muttered, coming into the room as she was tying her hair up into her strange bun-pony tail she always wore. She pinned flyaway hairs with bobby pins and kissed her son on the top of his head. "Don't give my child food poisoning while I'm gone." Minako ordered her brother and headed towards the door with her coat and purse in hand. When she was gone, Pharos looked up at his uncle nervously.

"I was the something, wasn't I?"

* * *

"You're late."

Shinjiro glared at his red-headed friend, shrugging off his coat and throwing his beanie on top of it.

"No I'm not."

Mitsuru Kirijo looked down at her wrist watch and arched an elegant eyebrow at her gruff friend.

"Yes you are."

"Oh just drop it Mitsuru. A customer at the Shop stayed too long and so I ended up running a little bit behind." Shinjiro sighed and dropped onto the couch, laying his head against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. "It's not like I really want to be here any ways." He muttered to himself. The red-headed female glared at the man on the couch but turned on her heel to address something else.

"We need you here, Aragaki so just act like you like us for the next hour and a half." Shinjiro looked over at his childhood best friend, Akihiko Sanada, and sighed to himself once more. The ex-boxer gave him a stupid grin and leaned over to pat his knee. "Come on, let's go get ready."

The three of them suited up like a nuclear war was coming and they were the only ones fighting back. Which in Shinjiro's mind seemed appropriate. He was relatively sure it was a lost cause so the comparison seemed fitting. There was no way three young adults and a useless supervisor would help anybody in this "nuclear war". He stayed only because he felt obligated to help his friends and somebody needed to be able to carry them to the hospital when they got themselves injured doing stupid things.

Mitsuru closed her eyes and pressed two fingers to her temples. Akihiko rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, like he was preparing for a boxing match and Shinjiro flexed his hand around the handle of his weapon, liking the familiar weight on his arm.

"The shadow is in down town. Dammit they've started moving away from the nesting ground." Mitsuru opened her eyes and made eye contact with her two companions. Shinjiro smirked.

"Let's go kick some ass."

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.  
**  
Twin Judge of Gemini**: Yeah, I guess short is just how I write. Long chapters just...don't work when I try to write them. I have to disagree with you about Minako being out of character though I respect your opinion and I thank you for sharing it. While Minato appeared in a manga and possibly an anime (I'm not sure on that one) Minako didn't. She was the protagonist so technically her personality, or at least part of it, was determined by the person playing/controlling her unlike the other characters in the series. Also, I wanted Aigis to act like that, I didn't want her to act human, just be human for the sake of the story. I mentioned a little something about it in this chapter and gradually it will be explained completely. Finally, I'm being a little nitpicky but in your first review you mentioned my grammar at least twice while your grammar was a little off and this particular review was a little confusing to understand. I don't mean anything by it really and I'm very grateful for your feed back, I would just like to suggest possibly re-reading a review before submitting it. Once again, thank you for your review.


	4. Chapter 4

Devon: Alright, I've taken a little longer with this update than I would have liked so hopefully its a little longer than the others to make up for it. :3

Warning: There is swearing. WooHoo. Um...perverted old men, suggestion of violence/fighting, and alcohol reference. Therefore, if you don't like it, don't read. :3 Oh right. AU, too. ;D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Persona-series related. I only own the idea for this story and technically OCs like "creepy old man" who makes an appearance in this chapter.

Rating: T. And I see no reason why it should go higher.

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Four.

Shinjiro wondered briefly if he was a masochist. There really couldn't be a better explanation for what he was doing in an abandoned business complex at midnight.

It felt like they had been fighting off these monsters for hours, but barely thirty minutes had passed. To complicate matters even more, he was pretty sure he had broken _something_ but his body was so sore he couldn't yet tell what was broken. On top of that, he had absolutely no clue where Akihiko or Mitsuru were. He was injured, in the dark, lugging around a huge ass battle-axe, his companions were missing, and he was covered in so much blood he wasn't sure what was his and what belonged to the shadows he had been fending off for the past thirty minutes. He had to be a masochist.

"I should be getting paid for this." Shinjiro muttered to himself, shrugging his shoulders and flexing his fingers around the handle of his axe. A metallic clanging noise echoed a few feet ahead of him as something traveled through the walls of the old building. His money was on it being a shadow. As the noise grew louder, Shinjiro raised himself to stay on the balls of his feet. These monsters were quick little buggers and he needed to be quicker.

A few seconds later, a panel of the wall flew across the hall and a large, dark shape tumbled out. Shinjiro raised his axe, ready to attack when the creature raised its head to pin him with grey eyes.

Shinjiro sighed and dropped his arm to let his axe swing gently at his side.

"Damn it Akihiko, would you be more careful?" He demanded, offering his friend a hand up. Akihiko took the offered hand gratefully, rising on unsteady legs. A long trail of blood started above his right eye and trailed down the side of his face. Shinjiro scowled as he pulled a ripped piece of cloth from his pocket and gave it to Akihiko to wipe the blood off his face. The same old wound seemed to open every single time they fought.

"The shadow just…disappeared." Akihiko explained to his childhood friend once his face was mostly cleaned off. "I spotted it the same time it saw me and it ran instead of attacking. I followed it down all these twisting, turning halls and right as we neared the end, I lunged for it but it disappeared right in front of me."

Shinjiro grit his teeth, looking away from his grey-haired comrade. A few shadows had disappeared into thin air in the past few nights and he wasn't sure why. Whatever was the cause, he didn't think it was good.

"Shinjiro answer me. Where the hell are you two?"

Shinjiro jumped at the sudden voice coming through the ear piece he had strapped to his head. Even Akihiko winced, hearing the young woman on the other side as clearly as his friend.

"Calm down Mitsuru, I just found Akihiko. We're two floors away from the roof." He replied once he was ninety-five percent positive his ear drum wasn't entirely busted. He could hear Mitsuru huff wherever she was.

"Come back down. I do not like the feelings I'm getting from this building. I think it may collapse. We're going home." Mitsuru told him after a few minutes, her voice back to a normal volume. Shinjiro was just about to relay the message when Mitsuru's voice filled his ear once more. "And tell Akihiko if he loses one more communication device I'm going to have one permanently implanted into that empty head of his."

Shinjiro looked over at his friend, who sure enough was missing his headset.

"Got it." He sighed in reply, grabbing Akihiko by the back of his jacket and heading back the way he had come. "Come on Sanada. We're done for the night."

* * *

Away from home, Aigis, and knowing her son was safe at home and not left alone in the cold, Minako let her mind wander to the worker at the coffee shop she had visited today. He had an awkward, angry outward demeanor like he was used to pushing people away and being alone. But she wanted to compare him to a big teddy-bear. He looked kind of cuddly.

Sighing as she wiped off the table in front of her, Minako imagined hugging the handsome man would be a warm, comforting act. She turned her head towards the bar in the middle of the room noting the one bartender in the whole establishment who was usually the only decent male in the bar and the sleazy people drinking away their problems and common sense with cheap beer and stale liquor. She would much rather spend time with the silent coffee shop attendant then with the perverts she was forced to interact with on a daily basis.

Minako decided the table was clean enough and moved to the next, unfortunately being a neighbor to one of the few tables with a customer seated there. An older man who had order dinner around four o'clock she was told after relieving Yukari Takeba from her shift five hours ago and had since then been drinking. Minako tried to suppress her shudder as she heard the man smack his lips together and place his beer back on the table.

"What's your name sweetheart?" The man called across the table, his voice hoarse. Minako figured it was only years and years of serious smoking that could ruin someone voice that much.

_Ignore him, Minako._ She told herself firmly. _You're forced to be nice when serving someone. You're not forced to interact with completely hammered customers._ Who was she kidding? Her boss would have her skinned alive and served as the next night's special if a single customer came to him with a complaint. And since most customers were aware of this fact, the female waitresses and bartenders were often forced to "suck it up and take one for the team."

"Can I get you anything, sir?" Minako asked sweetly, throwing the wet rag into the bucket and wiping her hands on the dry one she kept in her apron. A sleazy grin spread across the sagging face of the drunken man and Minako noted the three missing teeth and the distinct yellow coloring of the remaining crooked ones. The coffee-shop guy had straight, perfect white teeth. He had a slight over bite but it was kind of cute.

"Come over here and keep an old man company, sweet girl. Would you mind?" He was trying to play up the "helpless old man" act but Minako would fall for that act when Yukari laid down at Junpei Iori's feet and claimed he wasn't a pervert. The thought made her lips perk up in a small smile. She hadn't spent time with her friends in quite a long time. Their friendship was probably the only good thing that had come from her move to the big city.

"I'd love to, sir" Minako lied sweetly, picking up her bucket from the table. "But I'm working and I can't really take a break." Minako chewed on her bottom lip before taking a hesitant step closer. "Do you want another drink, sir?"

"Oh yes, thank you." He replied. Minako nodded, turning to leave when he called to her. "Do you mind taking this bottle back to the kitchen?"

The second Minako agreed, she knew what would happen and regretted her decision instantly. Reaching an arm out for the empty beer bottle, Minako watched as the man's bony, clammy hand clutched onto her wrist and squeezed tightly.

"Please do hurry bringing it back for me, dearest. It's getting late and I'd like to go home soon." The man's cloudy eyes watched her nervous face and slowly traveled down her thin neck and focused on the swell of her breasts through the open neck of her button-up blouse.

"Let her go."

Minako and the older man both turned to see where the mysterious voice had come from. It was the only other table that housed a customer. A booth in the back corner of the bar, shrouded almost completely in shadow. The man rose from the table and glowered at the older man from under his dark beanie. Minako watched the man, surprised, as his unruly brown hair brushed over broad, strong shoulders. The man's movements were made stiff by what Minako guessed was pain but he still looked graceful in her eyes.

"She needs to get back to work and I'm sure you've had more than enough to drink tonight." He added when the man didn't loosen his grip. Minako gaped at him.

It was the coffee shop guy!

Coffee shop guy took another step closer to the table and the older man instantly released Minako's wrist.

"You're probably right." He muttered, standing as fast as his aged body would allow and pulling money from his wallet. He left what looked like close to two hundred dollars on the table and shuffled his way out of the bar with no other comment.

Minako looked up from the table to her savior who had slumped back into his seat. Placing the bucket on the old man's abandoned table, Minako made her way to the back booth.

"Thank you for your help." She spoke softly, studying the man through squinted eyes in the bad lighting.

"I didn't do much." He replied, shifting his position with a pained grunt.

"Are you alright?" Minako asked softly, the man looked seriously injured.

"I'm fine. It's just sprained." He muttered through clenched teeth. The man's fists were clenched tightly.

"What is?"

A strained silence fell over the two. A tick started in the man's clenched jaw as Minako's strangely colored, warm eyes studied his pained face.

"I'm not exactly sure." He finally admitted.

Minako blinked a few times, letting the man's words sink in for a few minutes. Finally, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"It's after one in the morning. I get off in two and a half hours. Stay here and I'm taking you to the hospital when I'm done with work."

"I don't need to go to the hospital." The man argued, trying to sit up straight but the effort causing him too much pain.

"Bullshit." Minako muttered, turning away from the man to get back to work. "I'm Minako, by the way." She told him as a last thought. The man grimaced but Minako thought she might have seen the small ghost of a smile on his face.

"Shinjiro."

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Twin Judge of Gemini**: Yup, they do. And a little more in this chapter too but not much. Well...Pharos is actually supposed to be a little boy in this story so I don't think he should act that way. And that isn't how I interpret his character as I play through Persona 3 Portable honestly. As for the cooking, Minato hasn't met Shinjiro yet.

**michelous**: Unfortunately, I can't tell you that yet. It will be revealed eventually though. :3


	5. Chapter 5

Devon: Mm...I didn't want to take this long with the next update. Hopefully it didn't take as long as the last one did and sorry about that if it did.

Warning: More swearing! Woo! AU and I don't think there's anything else to warn you about in this specific chapter. Yikes, I just noticed how short it is. Okay, short chapters. That should be a chronic warning.

Disclaimer: The only Persona 3 related things I currently have possession of, I'm borrowing. So as far as the story goes, only the plot belongs to me.

Rating: T. For violence, alcohol reference, swearing, and possible sexual situations. Not all in this chapter but I think you get the drift.

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Five

Minako grabbed her coat from the "locker room", a dimly lit slightly larger than average broom closet with an attached unisex bathroom. It was almost three in the morning and the last customer in the bar, minus Shinjiro, had just left.

"Oh Minako, hello." A friendly, masculine voice came from behind the brunette who turned in surprise. She smiled at the pale man standing in the door way. Theo was usually the only decent man in the bar and one of the few decent men she had met in a long time. He was a hard worker and really loved his sisters, always going out of his way to make sure they were taken care of and didn't have to work too much.

"Hi there, Theo. Done cleaning up?" She asked, pulling her long, tan coat on and snuggling into its warmth. She had wiped down all of the tables and put up the chairs but before coming to grab her things, Minako noted the complete disaster zone that used to be the establishment's bar.

"More or less." He replied, reaching over the shorter girl to grab his coat. The blonde held the door open for his coworker then. Minako couldn't help but smile at the kind bartender who smiled back shyly. "Heading home, now?" He asked nervously, trying to make conversation with the kind waitress.

"Eventually." Theo looked up in surprise at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Shinjiro was balancing himself against the nearest table, waiting for his escort to the hospital.

"A friend of yours, Minako?" Theo asked kindly, looking at the young woman who was smiling softly at the gruff looking male.

"Sort of. We met earlier today and then he helped me with a rather difficult customer tonight. He hurt himself before coming here though and I'm planning to help him to the hospital." Minako explained calmly, going over to let the much taller man wrap an arm around her shoulders and rest part of his weight on her narrow shoulders. Theo thought it looked like he was trying to keep from crushing her.

"Do you…need any help?" Minako smiled at the blonde man, always so kind. Always worrying about everyone.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Thank you though Theo." The two brunettes headed towards the door, Minako knowing Theo always wanted to be the last the leave so that he could turn off the lights and lock all the doors before his older sister came to open at one. "Good night Theo!" Minako called, flashing a bright smile before the bar's door closed behind her.

Shinjiro glanced up at the dimly lit sign of the bar, wondering how the brunette next to him had ever wandered upon a night job at The Velvet Room bar.

* * *

In the emergency room of the hospital, Shinjiro sat in a cruelly hard chair across from the young woman who had dragged him there. He hated hospitals. The smells, the sounds, the white walls and floors. The sight of families desperate for answers and comfort. Minako was humming something to herself as she flipped through the paperwork they-technically _he-_needed to fill out for the doctor.

"I could…do that you know." Shinjiro remarked, stealing the attention of the pale girl from the paperwork.

"What?"

"The forms. I'm the one who needs to see the doctor. You don't have to fill it out for me too. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my hand that I broke." Shinjiro was pretty sure that was the most he had said in a while to anyone except maybe himself. He should probably work on that. Minako flushed, a deep red staining her cheeks.

"Sorry, I didn't…" She laughed softly and passed the clipboard and pen over to him. "I've been taking care of my brother and son for so long I took the papers out of habit. I don't know anything other than your name."

That caught his attention. Shinjiro tried not to seem too curious as he slowly began to fill out the papers. She had a son. He looked over at her, his eyes mostly hidden under his beanie kept her from noticing as he studied her. She couldn't be older than he was. In fact he was certain she was younger. Maybe only a year or two, obviously old enough to work at a bar, but not possibly older than he was. He wondered how old her son was. And brother for that matter.

Did her boyfriend care that she was being harassed at work? Boyfriend? Or was it her husband? A quick glance said it had to be a boyfriend. There wasn't a ring.

Shinjiro inwardly berated himself and went back to filling out the stupid paperwork. Who was he to care if she had a boyfriend or son or child brother or whatever. She was just helping him in return for him getting the old man off her earlier tonight.

Besides, Shinjiro didn't date. He tried to keep as few strings as possible. He'd cut the ones he had with Akihiko and Mitsuru already if he didn't worry about them hurting themselves so damn much.

Once he was finished with the paperwork, Minako offered to take it up to secretary, or whatever she was, at the desk. Watching the gentle swing of Minako's curly hair in the strange pony tail-bun she had it in, a thought threw Shinjiro through a loop.

He hadn't thought of dating or relationships since high school. What the hell was wrong with him today?

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Green-NaNa-Neko89: **I'm glad you like the story so much. :) I'm sorry for taking so long with my updates, and as terrible as this sounds, this is probably the best update pattern (Is that the word I'm looking for? I doubt it.) for any of my stories. But I'm really trying because I like this idea and I don't want it to die. This update was a pretty long wait but hopefully it was shorter than the last and the next won't take as long. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you continue to follow the story. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Devon: Sorry this update took so long guys. I've been distracted by a new anime (Soul Eater) and then I was kidnapped by my friend for a day and had a few different school projects going on, on top of preparing for Christmas. I'm gonna try harder with the next one but I'm afraid there aren't any promises.

Warning: There might not actually be any swearing in this chapter. :O. No wait...I think Shinji swore once. xD Okay, um lets see...AU like every other chapter, and I'm scared that Minato might be a little out of character. I hope not but I think it's a slight possibility.

Disclaimer: I wish. End of story.

Rating: T. Because Shinjiro takes his clothes off in this one ladies. ;D

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Six

He had a bruised rib, sprained ankle, fractured wrist, and dislocated shoulder. All in all, Shinjiro didn't think it was that bad. Of course, Minako had about fainted when she heard the results of his four x-rays and one CAT scan.

Shinjiro leant most of his weight against the locked door of his apartment and closed his eyes. Minako had dropped him off at home almost ten minutes ago. He refused to go inside however, until she got a taxi and he paid for her trip home. She didn't want an injured man walking home alone at night and he didn't want her walking home alone at night. Shinjiro had a feeling that she could take care of herself if she was attacked but he wanted to make sure she was safe. He almost thought he wanted to take care of her but that was a ridiculous notion. So he must just want to make sure a kind young woman isn't hurt. She did have a brother and son to go home to.

Still, if he just wanted to make sure she got home safely and there weren't some other pesky thoughts/emotions involved in his actions…why did her smiling face appear in his mind when he closed his eyes.

Her laugh echoed in his ears, amplifying the hollow silence of his empty home.

"Get a hold of yourself." Shinjiro reprimanded himself and limped over to his small bathroom. The doctors had offered him pain medication and crutches but he refused both. He just needed a day to lick his wounds and then he'd be fine. And even if he wasn't, he'd hide it until he was.

The single, bare light bulb in his bathroom flickered to life. His mirror was crack in multiple places and the wallpaper was peeling. Shinjiro shrugged off his long coat, letting the maroon cloth fall to the floor. Something hard hit the ground and rattled as it settled. Confused, Shinjiro reached down and searched the deep pockets until he found the source of the noise. A small, translucent, yellow-orange jar glinted up at him in the dim lighting.

"How in the world…?" Somehow, Minako had slipped the offered (and declined) pain-pills into his pocket without him noticing a thing. A small smile tugged at his lips and Shinjiro placed the pill bottle on the sink and hung his coat on the door handle. "Crazy women." He muttered, turning the water for his shower on, twisting the handle as far to the left as it would go. A hot shower would help him tremendously, he decided and began to remove the rest of his clothes.

Shinjiro winced as he pulled off the untied boot on his right foot. His ankle was a little more tender than he realized. He glanced at the pill bottle on his counter but shook his head. No. He didn't need them. He refused. In some way or another, taking one would be weakness. A weakness he didn't have time for.

* * *

Minako tiptoed into her apartment, trying everything she could to make as little noise as possible.

"Where have you been?"

Minako's surprised yelp echoed through the dark apartment and the door slammed behind her loudly. The table lamp next to her flashed to life as Minato pulled its small sting and glared at his twin sister.

"Why did you wait up for me Minato?" Minako asked angrily, avoiding the question. "You have to get up early in the morning for work. This is bad for your health, doing this."

Minato didn't say anything as his twin scolded him. He simply watched her as she scolded him, trying to change the subject from her late return. Minako looked at the wall clock, ignoring her brother's angry glare and gasped.

"Minato, you're going to be late for work. It's six-thirty in the morning. How could you stay up all night like this?"

Minato twitched slightly. Okay, the idea of being late didn't really bode well with him. But neither did the idea of his sister being out all night. He couldn't change the hours she worked at the bar but she had a scheduled time of return. She was rarely more than five minutes late. Two hours gave him plenty room to worry.

"Minako, you're two hours late." Minato finally cut into his sister's rant, just in case she wasn't aware of how late she was. "As your brother, I have every right to worry. Now where have you been?"

"I was helping someone, alright?" Minako replied defensively. She pulled off her coat and scarf as she left the room. Minato moved to follow her but she came back seconds later; a change of clothes for him in her hands. "Here. I'll go make toast and coffee for you."

A tic worked itself in Minato's jaw as he shrugged off his plain t-shirt to change. Through the small door way, he could see Minako shuffling around in the kitchen calmly.

"Who were you helping?"

Almost five minutes passed before she replied.

"A customer. A customer who helped me earlier."

"Minako-"

"He was injured okay Minato? He was seriously injured but he still went of his way to help me when some old man started harassing me while I was working. I helped him to the hospital and then to his house. He even insisted I get a cab and he pay for it because he didn't want me heading home alone. He was a good guy Minato so you can stop worrying and finish getting ready for work." Desperation dripped from Minako's words. Desperation for Minato to understand, for him to drop the subject.

Minato huffed loudly, just so his sister could understand how truly angry he was but did as she asked and left the room to finish getting ready.

Minako turned to the toaster just as the four slices of toast popped up. The distraction of simple tasks was just what she needed. She needed to get her mind off her late-or rather early-arrival, her brother's interrogation and worry, and more than anything, the man she helped.

"Mom?" Minako jumped in surprise. She was a little too distracted by her task and didn't hear Pharos come into the room.

"Hey buddy." Minako smiled at her son. His curly dark hair fell into his eyes and gave the impression that he had just rolled out of bed, despite the fact that he was clothed.

"What are you doing up?" She was never up when he got ready for school. Minato was always the one to help him in the mornings because of her job. Guilt left a bad taste in her mouth.

Pulling the sleepy boy into a hug and kissing his forehead, Minako forced the smile to stay on her face.

"I wanted to make you breakfast this morning." She lied. The young boy seemed to accept the lie and smiled.

"It'll probably taste better than Uncle Minato's eggs." Minako blanched at the thought of her brother making eggs. She wondered how Pharos didn't have food poisoning yet.

"Go brush your teeth. And hair. And breakfast should be done by then."

"Won't I just have to brush my teeth after I eat?" Pharos asked sweetly. Minako pointed the butter knife she had been using when he came into the kitchen at him and matched his sweet smile with a knowing one of her own.

"If you don't brush them now, you won't at all. I know how you are." With a defeated sigh, Pharos trudged back towards the bathroom.

Minato made it into the kitchen, just as Minako finished pouring his coffee into a to-go mug and wrapping his two pieces of toast in a napkin. He met her tired, strangely colored eyes as he took the familiar items from her.

"It'll be nice to have toast that isn't burnt for once." He admitted. She understood his anger. She didn't even call to say she would be late, just in case he had been waiting up for her. And it was a man that she helped. A man that he didn't know and she barely knew. He was worried about her.

"Let's hope you marry someone who knows how to cook or I'll be stuck taking care of you to keep you from starving for the rest of my life." Minako replied, rolling her eyes. He knew it was in her nature to be helpful and forgetful. The injured man's well-being was important to her because he helped her. And she had expected him to be him in bed because he had to work in the morning.

Minato kissed his sister on the cheek and headed towards the door.

"I'll probably be a little late tonight. Not too late but I am heading into work late and I'll want to make up a little of that time." Minato called over his shoulder as he left, missing the grimace his sister gave in reply.

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Green-NaNa-Neko89: **Well I'm glad I could provide that nice little surprise. :) I'm glad it was a pretty good length because I always feel like I write really long chapters and yet everyone is telling me they're really short. x3 Well I'd like to say its coming soon but I don't want to rush the relationship. Don't worry though. I will try to incorpirate _something _MinakoxShinjiro related into every chapter. :3


	7. Chapter 7

Devon: Ugh, winter break has totally screwed up my schedule. Who knew it was Mon...err...Tuesday? Anyways, Happy (Late) Holidays and Happy New Year!

Warning: There's swearing! :D And I almost threw in an OC but decided against it. Maybe later but for now, there isn't one.

Disclaimer: I think it should be obvious I don't own this by now.

Rating: T for the swearing that probably shows up in all the chapters. xD

Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Seven

"I like walking to school with you, Mommy."

Minako bit her lip and smiled softly at the boy next to her. Pharos's small, gloved hand was held in her own as their arms swung back and forth. Pharos had a happy skip in his step and a glowing smile stretched his wind-kissed cheeks. Crystal flakes were slowly decorating his dark hair.

"I like walking you to school." Minako told her son and wondered if it was her imagination or if his beaming grin actually did get bigger. God how she wanted to pull the small boy into a hug and whisk him away from school; to spend a whole day, just her and Pharos.

"We're starting a new project in art class this week." Pharos told his mother, thinking of the painting he wanted to do for her. "We're painting a big picture on a…a canvas." He explained after fishing for the right words to use. "So when we're done we can bring it home and hang it on the wall."

"Well I can't wait to see what you paint! We'll hang it right in the living room so everyone can see it. Does that sound good?" Minako replied with a smile to match her son's grin. The boy pursed his lips and closed one eye as if trying to imagine his painting in the living room. Finally he nodded and smiled once more.

"Okay! I'll work extra hard on it so it'll be perfect."

They had painted a lot before they moved, Minako remembered quietly. Before Pharos was in school the two of them would finger paint or draw on the driveway of their small home with side-walk chalk. They couldn't really do that much in the city they lived in now and Minako never had time to relax and paint with Pharos when he wasn't in school.

"It'll be perfect because you make it, Pharos." Minako told her son, stopping them in their trek to the elementary school to pull him into a tight hug. "It'll be the most beautiful picture I've ever seen. I know it."

"It's barely even started yet!" Pharos argued once the two of them were back on track and headed for school. "How do you know it'll turn out right?"

"Because it's art. No one can tell you it is wrong." Minako chewed on her lip before smiling at her son. "It will be done in your own special style and even if someone else doesn't like it, it'll be perfect for you and me." All that's left was for them to cross the street. Pharos's large elementary school loomed above them with an eerie aura. "You're my favorite artist Pharos. I can't wait to see your next painting." Pharos smiled at his mother and shuffled closer to her as they waited for a safe time to cross the street.

A large truck sped past the mother and son enjoying their time together. As the truck sharply turned the corner, the dirty spray of melted snow that followed after it narrowly missed the two at the crosswalk.

A few cold sprinkles fell against Minako's pale cheek and she couldn't help but be thankful. She had already been doused by trucks many times before and that would be just her luck. To have something like that ruin her morning. Minako looked down at Pharos who had, unfortunately, been closer to the spray than she was. He was still mostly dry but the end of his too-long scarf hung limply like a wet noodle. Minako quickly leaned down to unwind the cold, wet scarf from his neck.

"You can use mine today, okay?" She told him, shoving the dry end of his scarf into her coat pocket and unwinding the red and orange striped scarf from around her neck.

"But you have to walk home. My scarf will dry while I'm in school." Pharos argued as his mother wrapped her warm scarf around his neck and covering his pink nose and cheeks with its soft fabric. The scarf had a flowery undertone to the strong vanilla scent left on it from Minako's perfume. It was a familiar, comforting scent Pharos had surrounding him every day. Minako smiled at Pharos before grabbing his hand and finally leading him down the cross walk.

"But I don't have to go outside for recess and I'm much less likely to get sick than you are. Besides, the walk home isn't that long. You know that." Pharos didn't look reassured by his mother's words as the two of them trotted up the stairs to the front doors of the elementary school.

Standing in front of the closed doors, the two could feel the fading warmth left from the last time the doors had been open.

"Have a good day at school, baby." Minako ordered with a smile, pushing curly blue locks away from Pharos's face to kiss his forehead.

"You too, mommy. Have a good day." Pharos replied, throwing his short arms around his mother's tiny waist and burying his face into her tan pea coat. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Have lots of fun at school for me, okay?"

With a promising nod, Pharos ran into the school building, his small backpack bouncing against his back.

* * *

Akihiko Sanada jumped slightly in surprise when his cell phone went off. Flipping the small device open without bothering to look at the handy-dandy caller ID, he placed it to his ear.

"Sanada."

"Oh Akihiko dear, you really shouldn't answer your phone so coldly. You'll make people not want to talk to you anymore."

The ex-boxer blinked as he tried to place a name and face to the voice on the other line of the phone. Finally, finally things clicked.

"Oh hello Ikutsuki-san. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you." Akihiko explained, relaxing back into his chair. To most people, Shuji Ikutsuki was the owner of the local coffee shop, Sweet Escapes in an Earthly Shop. However, to people like Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro, Ikutsuki was something more. It was Ikutsuki who had introduced the three best friends to the monsters that plagued the Earth when they were teenagers. He taught them to fight the shadows in order to save innocent bystanders from being injured and for appearances; he claims to be the adoptive father of Shinjiro and Akihiko.

"How can I help you?" Akihiko questioned, twirling a capped pen on the top of his desk. His adoptive father and mentor hummed quietly on the other line as if he couldn't quite remember his reason for calling. Finally, Ikutsuki snapped, grabbing Akihiko's full attention back to the phone call.

"That's right. I was calling to ask about Shinjiro-kun." A puzzling subject to be calling about, Akihiko thought, sitting up straighter in his chair. Shinjiro works in Ikutsuki's shop. Why would he be asking Akihiko about him? "Was Shinjiro-kun hurt last night?"

"I don't believe he was hurt any more than the usual couple of bruises and scrapes." Akihiko replied honestly. "Why?"

"Well you see, he hasn't come into work yet and he won't answer his cellular phone. I'm beginning to worry about him." Akihiko's grey eyes shifted towards the clock sitting on his desk. 9:30 in the morning. Shinjiro was always at work, eight o'clock on the dot, no matter what.

"I'll go check up on him, just to make sure Ikutsuki-san. Don't worry." Akihiko promised, standing up and grabbing his coat from the back of his chair.

"Oh thank you Akihiko-kun. Please do tell me if he's alright once you find out." The call was ended and Akihiko slid the small phone into his pocket.

Heading towards the door, Akihiko made a quick stop by the desk of his coworker.

"Arisato, I have to head out for something. I'll be back soon."

The quiet, blue-haired Minato Arisato looked up from his paperwork at the sound of Akihiko's voice.

"Is there a problem?" He asked, politely. In response, he got a smirk that was half-grimace, half-grin.

"Let's hope not."

Akihiko headed down the familiar way to his best friend's small apartment in his old, run-down police car. Shinjiro seemed so…normal last night once they were done fighting. The thought that his gruff-best friend was injured or sick never even crossed his mind.

"Maybe I'm beginning to rely on him too much." Akihiko mused quietly, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as he was stopped at a red light. Shinjiro was strong, sure but Akihiko seemed to forget the fact that he was still human. Of course it was very possible that he was hurt last night and knowing Shinjiro, didn't tell anyone about it. Akihiko's grip on the steering wheel tightened in anger at himself and he contemplated just running the damn light. The intersection was completely deserted other than him anyways so would it really matter?

Just as those thoughts entered his mind, Akihiko noticed a young woman headed down the street. Her shoulders were hunched and she seemed to be curling into herself to protect herself from the cold. His light turned green just as she started down the cross walk. She seemed to realize this and paused where she was, wondering if he would let her go or if she should retreat back to the sidewalk until her next chance to cross. He waved her through, watching as her flushed cheeks spread with a smile and she nodded her thanks to him. The poor woman practically shook as she quickly crossed the street. Akihiko shook his head and kept going towards Shinjiro's apartment complex. The woman was quite pretty sure, and he felt bad that she was out in the cold when she was so obviously freezing but he needed to make sure his best friend was alright.

Akihiko arrived at the rundown apartment building in a few minutes and quickly cut the engine of his cruiser. Locking the doors out of habit, the young police man headed through the doors, into the lobby. The apartment manager's dog, raised his head to see who was entering from his spot next to the front desk. The large white dog wagged his tail weakly at seeing the familiar face of Akihiko and laid his head back down, closing his eyes for a nap. The door behind the desk opened and the dark-haired manager, Chihiro Fushimi entered. From behind her wire glasses, Chihiro's dark eyes widened in surprise and she turned away from Akihiko. The two had gone to high school together but she was always shy around people, especially her male classmates and teachers. Akihiko simply nodded his greeting and headed upstairs.

Akihiko used the spare key he had been given over two years ago to keep him from breaking in the door, and entered his best friend's small apartment. All the lights were off, along with the television, radio, and coffee pot. It was as if Shinjiro wasn't even home. However his worn brown boots still sat next to the door, his keys were on the side table by his faded couch, and the infamous maroon coat he was never seen without was hung on the door-knob of his hall closet.

Not bothering to knock, Akihiko made his way into Shinjiro's bedroom. The lights were off and the shades were drawn, but Akihiko could make out the lump on the old mattress under a pile of blankets. Running a hand through his short hair, he sat on the old spring mattress next to the lump that was his best friend. The wooden bed frame creaked its argument to the added weight but thankfully it didn't give out. Placing a hand on Shinjiro's shoulder, Akihiko shook his friend lightly. Shinjiro winced at the contact and rolled onto his back. He always was a light sleeper.

"What do you want Akihiko?" Shinjiro grumbled with a yawn.

"You're late for work." He replied quietly. "You're never late for work."

"I'm taking a personal day."

"How badly did you get hurt yesterday?"

Shinjiro sighed, rolling his eyes to stare at the dark ceiling above him.

"I'm fine Akihiko, I just-"

"Bullshit."

Shinjiro looked back at his friend, noticing the creases in his forehead and the small dip above his eyebrow that he only got when angry or worried. Chances are, he was both angry and worried because of Shinji.

"I dislocated my shoulder and bruised my rib." Shinjiro finally explained. "Just let me rest today and I'll be fine for tonight." Akihiko lifted a thin eyebrow and Shinjiro knew his best friend didn't believe him.

"What else?"

"A sprained ankle. Akihiko, really I'll be fi-"

"Shinjiro."

"Fine, I fractured my wrist. Would you please just drop it?"

"Jesus Christ Shinjiro, why didn't you say something?"

"Because I knew you'd make a big deal of it and you don't need to."

Akihiko shot up from the bed without even registering what he was doing and glared at the invalid beneath him.

"Dammit Shinjiro don't do this. I mean God damn you can't be so careless all the time." Akihiko ran both hands through his short hair and huffed out an angry breath. Shinjiro opened his mouth to try and argue with his best friend that he was fine, only to have Akihiko cut him off. "How do you know that's all that's wrong with you?"

"Despite what you and Mitsuru insist, the doctor's and their fancy machines didn't pick up any mental retardations last night, that I'm aware of." Shinjiro shot back, turning his back on his best friend and pulling the blanket back over his head.

"You went to a doctor yesterday?" Akihiko asked, the surprise so evident in his voice that it came out more of a whisper than anything. Shinjiro winced, having given himself away. He'd never go to a doctor on his own.

"Look, she just wanted to repay me for a favor and helped me to the emergency room. I told her it wasn't a big deal but she insisted and-"

"_She?_" Akihiko demanded, leaning closer. Shinjiro looked to the side, wishing he could just duct tape his mouth shut as well as find a way to permanently lock Akihiko out of his life. Or at least until he was healed.

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Green-NaNa-Neko89:** Shinjiro seemed pretty infatuated with Minako from the start so that's just how I adapted it to my story. *shrug* And I will.


	8. Chapter 8

Devon: Damn, sorry about that wait guys. Also, this chapter's pretty short. I'm not sure what happened...

Warning: Mer...I don't think there's any swearing other than that one I dropped in the author note...Hm let's see...I'm not sure what type of warning to put in this chapter. It's short?

Disclaimer: Yeah...only the plot is mine. Good job.

Rating: T...Yeah.

Sweet Escpaes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Chapter Eight

"Don't break anything." Shinjiro muttered, watching as his best friend rummaged through his kitchen cupboards. He was seated at the kitchen-dining room table of his small apartment with his large duvet wrapped around his shoulders.

"I'm not going to break anything Shinji." Akihiko muttered, finally finding the cupboard he was looking for. Akihiko pulled down two coffee mugs and turned back to look at his friend. Shinjiro arched an eyebrow at him. "I can make a pot of coffee without breaking anything."

When Akihiko got no response other than a suspicious look he turned his attention to the coffee pot on the counter. Mumbling to himself about his "ungrateful invalid", Akihiko went through the familiar, mindless motions of making a pot of coffee. Once the pot began to fill with the bitter liquid, Akihiko went to sit at the able across from Shinjiro.

"Alright, I put it off this long. Spill." Shinjiro scowled at him in response. "I'm serious, Shinji."

"So am I. There's nothing to 'spill' so just drop it already. A woman came into the Shop, and then later, after you and Mitsuru had gone home, I ran into her again and I…helped her. She was being harassed. Anyways, she figured out that I was hurt and insisted on helping me to the hospital to make sure I was okay." Shinjiro huffed out one long breath and looked over Akihiko's shoulder to see if the coffee was done. A cup of tar could keep him quiet for a few minutes and that would give Shinjiro enough time to come up with a way to keep away from the subject. He was getting tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. The pot wasn't even half full.

"I don't believe you." Shinjiro sent a glare towards his silver haired friend who cracked a smile towards him.

The two of them stayed like that for a while. Quietly gaging the other to see if they would break. Finally, Shinjiro split the silence.

"Don't you have work to be doing?"

Akihiko's shoulders slumped. That wasn't the exact response he was looking for.

"Don't you?" He replied, rising from the table to pour himself and Shinjiro a cup of coffee, finally.

"I took a sick day. You're just skipping, wasting time over here." Shinjiro replied, nodding his thanks once he was handed his coffee. Akihiko, good friend that he was, put sugar in it for him already.

"You actually have to call in sick to take a sick day Shinjiro. Right now you're skipping work just like I am."

Shinjiro glared as his best friend downed half a cup of the scalding beverage with one gulp. He resisted the urge to grimace in disgust. Akihiko set down his cup and looked at his friend seriously.

"I'm gonna go to work now. But you should…shower and eat something. And don't worry about tonight. Mitsuru and I can handle it while you heal."

"I'm fine Aki-" The door closing cut off the rest of Shinjiro's argument.

* * *

Minako smiled down at her brother. The blue-haired man was absorbed in his paperwork and hadn't heard her walk to the desk. It wasn't until he finished with the page he was working on that he looked up and his eyes widened upon seeing his sister. Minako's smile widened slightly as she reached over and moved his paperwork to the side. Once the desk was partially clear, she placed a lunch bag on the cleared spot and nodded to it.

"I thought I'd make you lunch to ah…apologize again for this morning." A small smile graced the man's pale face as he nodded to the chair next to his desk.

"Do you want to stay for lunch?" Happily Minako took the offered chair. Reaching over, she opened the lunch bag and laid out the neatly packed, homemade lunch.

Quietly, the twins began eating. Even at home, meals were usually spent like this. In quiet silence, occasionally Pharos would make conversation with everyone but more often than not silence reigned. Minako had a suspicion that her brother's calm, quiet nature had influenced them all, slightly. Finally, about half way through the meal, Minako cleared her throat.

"I really am sorry about today Minato. I should have called or something when I realized how late it was. I didn't mean to make you worry. And I promise it won't happen again."

Minato wanted to cut in and tell his sister that it was alright, that she didn't have to worry or apologize over and over again, but being the quiet person that he was, it was easier to just let her finish then to interrupt. Once Minako was finished, signaling the end of her speech with a heavy huff of breath, Minato paused to think of the way he wanted to ease Minako's worries when Akihiko Sanada walked past his desk.

"A friend of yours Arisato?"

The two looked up and a slight blush suddenly dyed Minako's cheeks. She stood up and held her hand out to Akihiko. The silver-haired man took it with a small smile.

"Minako Arisato." She introduced herself, noting the surprised look on Akihiko's face, smiling to herself. "I'm Minato's twin sister."

Akihiko looked between the two and arched an eyebrow. They were both pale with thin faces and large eyes but that was where the similarities ended.

"Akihiko Sanada. I work with your brother here on the police force." Minako nodded.

"Minato had mentioned you a few times. It's nice to meet you."

Akihiko studied the woman's curly brown hair and rosy cheeks. Finally he realized she was the woman crossing the street when he went to visit Shinjiro that morning. What a small world.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

Replies to the Reviewers:

First of all, thank you all for reviewing:

Now then.

**Ozuchi-Kozuchi**: I'm glad! I'm glad you are happy with the portrayl of the characters and I hope you stick around for the whole story. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Devon: So I can sort of defend the wait this time? First of all, I know the Persona fanbase isn't as big as others but I haven't really felt good about updating this story in exchange for my Soul Eater fanfiction when I'm not totally sure if there are still people reading it...second, I'm suddenly into drawing again which is amazing because I haven't drawn since like November so the time I normally spend writing I've been drawing lately. Anyways, as you may have noticed the title changed and therefore, so did the name of the coffee shop. Most likely you all caught onto the SEEs thing I was doing there but pushing that aside, in later chapters _why_ the coffee shop is called SEEs will be explained. (Okay yeah I just had this random eureka moment and had to go and change everything).

Warning: Okay, so this chapter and probably the next few will take a step away from the back and forth between Shijio and Minako's POVs. Some of the other characters are being introduced/expaned and slowly the little snipits of their lives will intertwine, leading us back to the Shinjiro-Minako POV thing that had been going on in the first 8-ish chapters (hopefully. Unless I fuck this up. Let's cross our fingers that I don't)

Disclaimer: So...so far still only the plot is mine. I'm trying really hard to not add any (read: too many) OCs into this fanfiction and I think I'm doing a fairly good job so far, no?

Rating: T. And still I think the only thing I did in this chapter is swear. Once. In the warning. *face palm*

Sweet Escpaes in an Earthly Shop  
Minako x Shinjiro/Akihiko x Mitsuru/I'm not really sure x On the other couples yet ;D

Minato Arisato sat his desk, pretending to be doing his paperwork. He really was peeking over the top of the papers in his hands to spy on the two people sitting a desk away from him. After cleaning up their lunch, Minako had bid her brother farewell and was heading towards the door with every intention of leaving the somewhat busy police station. However, her departure from the building had been intercepted by Minato's suddenly friendly silver haired coworker. Though Minato had never categorized Akihiko Sanada as a quiet loner or off-ish person, much like many people assume he is, he had never found the ex-boxer to be as openly friendly (especially to practical strangers) as he was now. And they were at work! Not that Minato or Akihiko had much work to do currently. Their last case was finished two days ago and the paper work was almost completely finished, read, re-read, edited, and sent to some higher officials to read, re-read, and edit again. Still, Minato wasn't sure how he felt about the borderline flirtatious conversation happening not ten feet away from him.

* * *

Yukari Takeba awoke to obnoxious banging on her apartment door. Scowling she rolled over and pulled her pink comforter over her head. The knocking stopped. Closing her eyes with a serene smile, Yukari slowly began to drift to sleep once more. Suddenly the banging got louder. Pulling herself out of bed, Yukari tried to tug a hand through her messy hair. She grabbed her robe and pulled it on over her night gown. Yukari paused at the door, her hand on the door knob, and waited. Maybe whoever was at the door had left and she could go back to sleep? The door suddenly shook with the force of the hit inflicted by the person on the other side. Sighing, Yukari opened the door to pin her unwanted visitor with a glare.

A familiar blue hat and goatee were the first things Yukari noticed when her guest grinned.

"Morning Yuka-chan!"

* * *

Hidetoshi Odagiri twisted the papers in his hands as he paced in front of the door, leading to the office of the head of the Kirijo Group. A meeting was supposed to take place in a little less than an hour and he still had some final points he would like to go over and okay with his boss before presenting them to the other companies that will be in the meeting. However, now here, he is suddenly experiencing a nervousness he didn't think he suffered from before. Mitsuru Kirijo's personal secretary, Fuuka Yamagishi, sat at her desk with a worried expression contorting her pale face. A quiet girl with short blue hair, Fuuka was naively friendly to everyone but tended to stay out of people's way most of the time. Most likely her shyness was what was keeping her from asking the silver haired man who had been pacing in front of an empty office for an hour what was wrong.

* * *

Mitsuru Kirijo rolled down the tinted window and looked at the simple apartment complex the car was stopped in front of.

"Is this the place, Kirijo-san?" The driver asked, turning his head slightly to project his voice to the back of the vehicle. The red-head rolled her window back up and lowered her sunglasses to cover her eyes.

"Yes, thank you. I will call you when I am done here." Noting the driver's nod of acknowledgement, Mitsuru stepped out of the sleek black car and shut the door behind her. Almost silently, the vehicle took off down the road and disappeared into the distance.

Black, heeled boots clicked quietly against the pavement as Mitsuru went to open the front door of the building. The front desk was empty of any manager. Mitsuru took the one working elevator to the fourth floor. Inside the elevator she noted the old, peeling wallpaper, flickering light, and the bland "elevator music" that skipped every few notes. Surprisingly, her stop was on a floor that looked rather well taken care of in comparison to the lobby and elevator. At the end of the long hallway, a simple wood door stared her down. Though she was too far away to read the brass numbers nailed to the said door, she knew she had found the place she was looking for.

Mitsuru knocked on the door at the end of the hall three times. Her gloved knuckles rapped soundly against the faded wood and echoed down the mainly empty hall. After a minute or so passed, she knocked once more in the same three-knock style. Finally, the sound of locks being undone and an old door knob turning could be heard.

"Hello?" Mitsuru started slightly at the pale woman who answered the door. She had soft features, bright blue eyes, and short pale hair. Bandages covered the entirety of the woman's neck and continued on past the neck line of her loose-fitting blue blouse.

"I apologize, it seems I am at the wrong apartment." Mitsuru apologize, taking a step back. The woman smiled and opened the door wider.

"Nonsense, come in Mitsuru Kirijo. I've been expecting you."

* * *

Shinjiro Aragaki had taken his best friend's advice as far as showering and eating went. However, he wasn't really one to take things easy and since Akihiko had made it his mission to rouse the brunette, Shinjiro decided to go into work, admittedly late as he was. The snow and rain that had been peppering the city on and off for days was taking a break, more than likely there wasn't anything else for the sky to spit down upon the people of Iwatodai, so the walk from Shinjiro's apartment to the shop wasn't a bad one. The city was still cold and incredibly windy but the sun had come out from its hiding place to shine off the small bits of snow that were still white.

Shuji Ikutsuki almost cried from the sheer joy of seeing his adoptive son walk through the door of his coffee shop. Though he had owned the shop for almost ten years or more, Shuji rarely spent time in the shop. And even when he was there, Shinjiro was always right there with him to make sure things were going smoothly.

"Shinjiro-kun!" Shuji shouted, coming around from behind the counter to throw his arms around the brunette in an over exaggerated hug. With a sigh, Shinjiro stood still and let the grown man sob into his maroon coat.

"I'm sorry for not coming in before or calling. I just had a late night yesterday." Shinjiro explained to the man who still had his face buried in his coat. "I can work now if you let go of me."

That's all folks.

Keep Writing  
~DMD


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